Chapter 63 – Doesn’t the School Forbid Dating?
“No need.”
Lin Yuejiu smiled. “Have you thought about how you’re going to confess to that girl yet?”
“Not yet, but I plan to confess to her tonight.”
A flicker of loss flashed through Lin Yuejiu’s eyes, so faint it was barely noticeable. “I see,” she smiled at him, “then I wish you good luck. I hope your confession is successful.”
“You said before you could help me plan. Can you give me some advice now?”
Lin Yuejiu froze for a moment, her heart filled with bitterness. Still, she kept her smile. “Sure. Why don’t you first tell me what kind of person she is?”
“She…” Xu Nianshen chuckled, “She’s a very cute and beautiful girl. She’s always been a little mischievous, full of expressions… She’s thoughtful, gentle, and strong…”
Lin Yuejiu listened quietly as he listed all the good qualities of the girl he liked. Unconsciously, she pressed her lips together, fingers gripping the edge of her clothes. Inside, her heart hurt as if pricked by countless needles.
“So, how do you think I should confess to her?”
Lin Yuejiu snapped back to herself. “Since you think so highly of her, I’m sure no matter what you say, she’ll accept it.”
“You’re right. I’ll think on it a bit more.”
Watching him fall into thought, Lin Yuejiu pursed her lips and turned to look out the window. The scenery outside kept flashing backward.
If only time could rewind. If it could, would she have been able to change how things are now…?
Soon, they arrived back at school. Lin Yuejiu got off the bus before him.
Through the window, Xu Nianshen watched her departing figure, his eyes dark and deep.
Perhaps because her mood was affected, Lin Yuejiu barely ate anything that evening before heading back to the dorm. She had planned to sleep early, but at six o’clock, Xu Nianshen sent her a message.
Xu Nianshen: [I’m still a little nervous. Can you come guide me?]
Lin Yuejiu: [Sure.]
She put her shoes back on and got ready to leave. Just then, Chen Qianxi came in and, seeing her, looked surprised.
“Jiujiu, where are you going?”
“I have something to do. I’ll be back soon.”
“Alright then.”
Following the directions he sent, Lin Yuejiu arrived under a tree on campus. She reached out and touched the trunk. Back in middle school, the two of them had longed to attend this school, and on the last day of each semester, they would meet under this very tree to exchange their wishes.
For a brief moment, she felt her heart ache. Why was he choosing to confess to the girl he liked here? This was their little secret place…
Footsteps came from behind. She turned. It was Xu Nianshen.
She forced a smile onto her face. “So, what do you want me to guide you on?”
Xu Nianshen didn’t speak.
Lin Yuejiu fell silent too. After a while, she tried again. “Why hasn’t the girl you like come yet? It’s already late—don’t tell me she isn’t punctual?”
His gaze stayed fixed on her. Watching her force a smile, light flickered softly in his eyes. “No. She’s very punctual.”
“Then… where is she?”
His dark eyes locked firmly on hers, his voice slightly hoarse. “At this moment, there’s no one else. It’s just the two of us.”
“You… what do you mean?” Lin Yuejiu’s heart suddenly beat wildly, as if something was on the verge of breaking free.
“Don’t you see it yet? I like you.”
“I like you, Lin Yuejiu.”
Her lashes trembled violently, and she lifted her eyes to him in shock.
Xu Nianshen stepped closer and closer, his eyes reflecting no one but her. “There’s no one else. Just you and me. The person I like… has always been you.”
It was as if a fizzy, sweet soda had been spilled right onto her heart, bubbling and spreading through every vein until it filled her whole chest.
She tried to find her voice again, though it trembled with disbelief. “But… didn’t you say before… and yesterday you even said those things…”
“That was just to draw you out,” he chuckled softly.
His laughter was low, magnetic, and pleasant. Through the air, it slipped into her ears, sending tingles across her skin.
“Do you like me?”
Lin Yuejiu opened her mouth but no words came out.
Xu Nianshen stepped closer, lowering his forehead until it rested against hers. “Listen to your heart. Whatever your heart is telling you—say it.”
At that moment, his voice carried a strangely bewitching quality, coaxing her to speak the words he longed to hear.
Listen to her heart?
Lin Yuejiu’s heartbeat raced uncontrollably. Flashes of memory rushed before her eyes—every moment of the past eleven years they had spent side by side. His gentleness, his smile, the way he smiled at her against the light, the comfort of his embrace on the sports field, every thoughtful word of encouragement, every glance they had exchanged…
Her heartbeat grew so loud that she herself could hear it clearly.
Xu Nianshen moved half a step closer, their noses now brushing. His voice dropped into a whisper. “Do you like me?”
His warm breath fanned across her cheeks, and she could see his eyes—bright, and filled with only her reflection.
“I… like you…” she finally whispered, “I like you very much.”
Xu Nianshen’s eyes curved into a smile.
For a moment, Lin Yuejiu was dazzled by his grin. She had never looked at his smile from such a close distance before.
Flustered, she reached out and pushed him away. Even though a few steps separated them now, she still needed fresh air to steady her breathing.
Xu Nianshen could now see her face clearly—flushed a deep red, with the corners of her eyes tinged pink. She looked breathtaking, almost enchantingly beautiful.
“So… does that mean you’ve accepted my confession?”
The blush on her cheeks hadn’t faded. “But… doesn’t the school forbid dating?”
Her words shattered the tender atmosphere that had hung in the air just moments ago.
Xu Nianshen gave a helpless smile. “I didn’t say that once you accepted, we’d have to be together right away.”
“Then what do you mean by this?”
“I just wanted you to know my feelings. And—I wanted a clear answer from you.”
Lin Yuejiu had just opened her mouth to speak when he suddenly stepped closer again, closing the distance between them. Before she could retreat, his arm slipped around her waist.
Lin Yuejiu had never let anyone touch her waist before—it was a sensitive spot. The moment he held her there, her body froze instinctively.
“Then tell me—when can we officially be together? When can we officially become boyfriend and girlfriend?”
Held by the waist, Lin Yuejiu didn’t dare move. Her body was stiff, her mind spinning rapidly. “…After third year ends.”
“Hm?”
“After the college entrance exams. Until then, before the exams are over, I’m not… your girlfriend.”
The last three words came out awkwardly, as though she wasn’t used to saying them.
Xu Nianshen’s eyes sparkled with laughter. “Alright then—girlfriend.”
Lin Yuejiu stomped her foot. “I’m not your girlfriend yet!”
“I know. I’m just practicing, getting used to it early.”
“There’s still a whole year! Isn’t it too early to ‘practice’?” she muttered under her breath.
“I heard that,” he teased, voice laced with amusement, tightening his hold around her waist.
Lin Yuejiu, red with embarrassment and indignation, shoved him away. “It’s late. I’m going back to the dorm to sleep. If you don’t head home now, you’ll be locked out.”
Xu Nianshen looked completely unconcerned. “I can always climb the wall.”
